Author: Betsy Horvath

Previously on Betsy’s Blog…

Harry, Betsy’s Guide on her Quest (and a white gerbil) has brought Skipper, an expert in Habit Formulation and Implementation (and a chipmunk), to Betsy’s brain to convince Betsy that not only are goals and habits good, but she needs some.  Betsy allows as how she doesn’t like goals because she never achieves them and that makes her feel like a loser.  And why should she make herself feel like a loser when so many people are willing to do it for her?

But Skipper hasn’t given up yet.  After taking a quick break to do research and for some, er, liquid refreshment, she’s back and better than ever.

Good luck, Skipper!  Let’s see how things are going…

*Betsy enters her brain and walks into Harry’s office*  Harry?  Skipper?  Where are you guys?

Oh, hey.  There you are.  *Harry sits up on top of his gerbil habitat* *waves*

I didn’t see much of you last week.  I was afraid you’d gone one another bender *Betsy walks over to the habitat*

Nah.  *Harry flaps paw*  That was Skipper.

Skipper!  *Betsy stares at him*  Skipper got drunk?

Yup.  *Harry shakes head sadly*  She was so distraught  over the whole goal thing that she dove right into that sewer section of your mind to drown her troubles.  Got into the peanut wine.  It was ugly.

Oh.  *Betsy shifts uncomfortably*  I thought I’d cleaned up that sewer section.

*Harry snorts* Right.  

Here I am!  *Skipper jumps into Harry’s office*  *Does series of handsprings across floor of brain* *Jumps high with paws above head*  Go! Team! Goals!  Goooooo Habits!

*Betsy watches her* *shakes head*   Wow.  I thought Harry said you were depressed.  You sure have a lot more energy now than the last time I saw you.

*Skipper runs up gerbil habitat and sits next to Harry*  Last time I was trying to be all mature and stuff.  Yuk!  *Makes face*  I need to be who I really am, you know?  And this is it!

I kind of liked mature Skipper.

“Skipper ignores her*  See, that’s the main goal in life – to be who you really are.  To be authentic and not just what you think you should be or what somebody else wants you to be.  For other goals to be meaningful, they have to feed into that.  One goal to rule them all!

All right.  *Betsy shrugs*

*Skipper settles back on haunches*  I’ve been poking around in your brain a lot this week.

Oh.  *Betsy winces* Sorry.

So you say you want to write.

*Betsy glances at Harry*  She just figured this out?

*Harry shrugs*

*Skipper snaps paw to get Betsy’s attention*  Listen to me.  When you say “I want to write” that’s a dream.  It’s wishy-washy, comes and goes… Oooo I want to write…I want to drive a race car….I want to be an astronaut…I want to kiss Bradley Cooper….

Well, as to that–

A dream is a good start, but it doesn’t have any meat.  It’s just your brain sloshing back and forth like one of those lava lamps.

*Harry sighs* I love those things.

So first you have to think about WHY you want to write.  What are you hoping to get out of it?

Well…*Betsy frowns*  I want to tell stories and…entertain people.  Wait, Harry and I went through all of that in another blog post.

I know. *Skipper nods*  And you estabished the goal of becoming a successful independent authorpreneur.  How will you know if you’re successful?  How do you define it?

Um…*Betsy glances at Harry*  I think I said that in another blog post too.  My definition of success is to write consistently and publish regularly.  I mean, yeah, I’d like to make money – who wouldn’t?  But what makes me feel most…complete is telling stories.

There!  *Skipper throws paws in the air*  And just like that, we have a major goal and our first habit.  Your goal, should you choose to accept it, is to be a successful independent authorpreneur.   The first habit you need to establish is to write consistently.

*Betsy looks at Harry*  Are you paying her for this?

Now.  *Skipper gets up and begins to pace*  Your other goals have to lead up to the main one.  Where do you want to be in five years?  In three years?  In one year?  At the end of this year?   You will be an independent authorpreneur.  To do that, you will publish such and such number of books within the next year, two years, three years.  *she whirls on Betsy* *points* because your definition of success is to write a lot and publish a lot.

Yes.  *Betsy nods* But I also have to market–

Eh!  *Skipper slashes a paw through the air*  That may be true, but it will be secondary.  Because your goal is to be a successful independent authorpreneur, and your definition of success is to write a lot and publish a lot.

Okay. *Betsy nods slowly*  I think I understand.  My goals have to reflect me, who I am, what’s important to me.  I’m the only one who can decide if I’ve achieved my goals, so I’m the one who has to decide what will determine whether or not I’m a success.

Right!  *Skipper leaps up into the air*  *Does a split*

Jeeze.  *Harry gapes at her*

So now this week, what are you going to do? *Skipper points at Betsy*

Um… *Betsy’s eyes jitter nervously*

You’re going to write!  *Skipper throws her paws into the air*  When are you going to do it?

Um…now?  *Betsy raises her hands to shoulder-height*

Exactly!  That’s your first habit, the foundation goal essential to achieving all of your other goals.  Your initial goal is to write every day.  *Skipper puts her paws on her hips*  CAN YOU DO IT?

YES!  *Betsy jumps into air*  *Brain sloshes when she lands*

Then get out there, do it, and report back to me.  Make me proud!  Win one for the Skipper!

YESSSSSSSS!!!!!!  *Betsy goes thundering out of brain*

*Harry turns to Skipper*  You just couldn’t resist, could you?

Eh.  *Skipper settles back* *winks at Harry*  Why don’t you go get me some peanuts, lovebug.

To be continued….

Previously on Betsy’s Blog….

Harry, Betsy’s Guide on her Quest to become a successful independent author / entrepreneur, has just done a stint at the International Muse Council to undergo psychological testing.  But he’s back!  Better yet, he brought a friend with him – Skipper the Chipmunk, a specialist in Habit Formation and Implementation.

Betsy was a trifle surprised to find another unexpected voice chatting in her brain, but figured what the heck.  Skipper was a trifle surprised to find that Betsy doesn’t like setting goals or forming habits.  In fact, it would be more accurate to say she was disconcerted and even a little unsure of how to proceed.

This is not an encouraging start to their relationship.  Can they recover?  Can they find their way to a partnership?  Can Skipper convince Betsy that goals and habits are actually good things and not of the devil?  Join us and we’ll see….

*Skipper exchanges a long look with Harry*  Fun, you said.  Almost like a party, you said.

*Harry shrugs*  I guess we all define ‘fun’ in our own way.

I’ll say.  *Skipper turns back to Betsy*  Okay.  So you don’t like goals.

Nope.

*Skipper types something on her tablet computer*  Mind telling me why?

*Betsy frowns*  Well, I guess because I never seem to accomplish them.  So they just make me feel like a loser.  Why should I make myself feel like a loser when there are so many people willing to do it for me?

*Harry sidles closer to Betsy* *Looks at Skipper*  She’s got a point, Skips.

*Skipper sighs*  Okay, okay.  *Thinks*  Look.  Let’s say you’re out on a ship.

Ooo!  *Betsy brightens* Can it be a yacht?

*Skipper shrugs*  I guess.

Sailing the wine-dark Aegean sea?

Sure.  And–

Can I have a yacht-boy named Nico?

Hey!  *Harry pulls away from Betsy*  *Looks offended*  What about me?

*Betsy pats his head*  You can be there too, love-a-lump.  But Nico would be, well, human.

*Harry relaxes*  Oh.  Okay.

Yes!  Yes!  *Skipper waves paws in the air*  You can be on a yacht sailing in wine!  What do I care?

The wine-dark sea, *Betsy corrects*  Homer, you know. *blushes* I’m an English Major.

What. EV. Er!  *Skipper jumps up and down*  And you can have a million yacht boys and name them whatever the heck you want.

*Betsy settles back in chair*  Okay.  Then that sounds good.

ANYway.  *Skipper straightens fur*  You’re on your ship – excuse me, yacht – and you’re out sailing some damn where.  You have someplace you want to get to, right?

*Betsy thinks*  Not necessarily.  I mean, sometimes you just want to travel to see what you see.

I did that once.  *Harry sighs reminiscently*  Spent a hell of a week in a habitat in Paris with this hamster–

PRETEND you want to get somewhere!  *Skipper jumps up and down again* Pretend there’s a certain place you WANT to be.  You WANT to sail towards it.  You WANT to get there.  Just PRETEND!

Oh, okay.  *Betsy blinks*

*Skipper shakes herself out*  The place you want to get to is your goal.

Ah, I see.  Metaphor.  *Betsy shrugs*  All right, using that symbolism I would say most of the time I just sail around until I bump into something.

*Skipper rolls eyes*  Why am I not surprised?

*Betsy thinks* So if the place I want to get to is my goal, then what are habits?

When your habits are in line with your goals, they keep your ship on course and heading in the right direction.

*Betsy thinks*  Like a steering wheel?

*Harry looks thoughtful* You know I don’t think ships have steering wheels.  

*Betsy purses lips*  They don’t?  How do they steer then?

They use  a rudder!  Oh, my God!  Who cares?  *Skipper draws in a deep breath* *Lets it out again* Anyway, habits can keep the ship on course, but they can also get you all screwed up or stop you from moving forward.

Like an anchor.  *Betsy looks at Harry*  I know ships have anchors.

Okay.  *Skipper heaves a long-suffering sigh*  The goal is your destination.  It’s important to have a goal, because then you have something you’re aiming for.   If you’re not aiming for anything you’ll just drift around and eventually wreck your ship on rocks or a reef or something.  You should know all about that sort of thing.

*Betsy thinks*  But I have goals then.  I have places I want to be.  I WANT to steer my ship to certain places.  But I never seem to get there.  I get wrecked anyway.  I guess sometimes I feel like a…a…rudderless child!

*Skipper sits back on haunches*  And that, my dear, is what we have to work on.  First we have to identify your goals, then we have to figure out steps you can take to work towards them.

But I have a goal. *Betsy repeats* I have a Quest.  *Points at  Harry*  I have a Guide.  The Muse Council is on board and everything.

*Skipper casts eyes heavenward*  No, I mean we need the steps you can take to REALLY work towards a goal, not just give it lip service.  What are your big overarching goals?  What little goals should you be working towards to feed into them?  What habits do you need to develop to meet those goals?  Because your goals and habits are a structure you can use to live your life.

Structure?  *Betsy blinks*  My life is supposed to have structure?

Uh huh.  *Skipper considers her*  Oooookay.  Looks like we need to start  from the beginning.

To be continued…